In the Name of the King
by Nox Gold
Summary: It sounds to me like you need a dragon slayer, not a burglar. Bilbo didn't expect the 13 dwarves that demolished his pantry and threw around his mother's Westfarthing pottery. Gandalf didn't expect the young man that dogged Bilbo every footstep with more secrets that an old elven lord.
1. Strawberry Wine

**Blah, blah, blah, do not own, blah, blah, blah, harry potter, the hobbit, blah, blah, blah. See bottom for notes.**

**ooooooooooooooooo**

_It was a request from 'Fortinbras Took (the second), one of his many cousins to the deliver a package to Bree that lead to him being ambushed by orcs._

_'Bilbo, my wee little one has broken his leg and Lalia has asked me to stay a home with him. If you could take this package to Bree for me, not only would I be much obliged but I would be giving you a barrel or two of my strawberry wine for your trouble.'_

_It was the promises of a barrel of Strawberry wine that lead to him agreeing. The weather was calm and the road peaceful until he reached Brandywine Bridge. The only warning he had was fierce yelling before a pack of bandits jumped out of the trees to his left. The leader had a crude face, scarred from years of cruelty. 'Kill it and rob the body. Take the pony as well. We can make a pretty penny from it.'_

_A small glint of silver, blink and you'll miss it, entered Bilbo's line of sight just before a large dagger became buried in the leader's eye. The blood ran thick and red and it turned his stomach as it dribbled down the scarred face._

_The owner of the dagger practically melted out of the shadows, slitting the throat of a bandit before his sword was even fully drawn. Bilbo had slipped off Myrtle in the confusion and cowered behind the pony, cursing his cousin for giving him this nightmarish task. He winced softly at each horrible squelching noise of steel meeting flesh. The silence that came after was even worse. There were 7 bandits and only one stranger. The stranger probably lost and now the bandits are going to kill and rob him. Oh sweet Yavanna._

_'That was a lot of trouble for one so little.' Bilbo peaked around the side of the Myrtle to see a human, who still looked young by the terms of men, calmly standing among bloody dead. 'Why would one such as yourself be riding alone, master hobbit?' He survived, the stranger had survived._

_Bilbo moved out from behind his mount, brushing dust off his trousers and firmly looking anywhere but the corpses. 'I was riding to Bree to deliver a package, I'll have you know. Though, thank you for saving m but if you will excuse me, I'm heading back to The Shire.' The man made an amused sound in the back of his throat at the hobbit before raising a dark eyebrow._

_'Didn't you just say you were heading to Bree to deliver a package?'_

_'I was but after getting attacked by bandits, I think I'll just go straight home.' He never should of left in the first place by himself._

_The stranger made a low whistling sound and waited for a chestnut horse to come trotting around the bend and up to the waiting man. 'I have business in Bree. I could escort you there.'_

_Bilbo shook his head, brown curl flopping around. 'As kind as that is, I don't fancy taking the journey back.'_

_The man slipped a foot into one of the stirrups before swinging his leg over the horse. 'The road home takes me through The Shire. If you would but wait half an hour, I could take you home as well.'_

_Common sense demanded he say no but the thought of the strawberry wine made him nod his head. 'Again, thank you. Bilbo Baggins, at your service.'_

_The man gave him a lazy grin before nudging his horse to face Bree. 'Better saddle up then, Master Baggins. Aloen, at yours.'_

**ooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Bilbo looked around in dismay at the dwarves in his living room. They were drinking his wonderful strawberry wine. He has had it for over three years now and had been saving it for a special occasion. His eyes connected with green as he noticed the figure in the shadows of one of the doorways. Unease showed in tense muscles, one hand wrapped around a dagger the length of his forearm. Bilbo took a small gulp as a second dagger slipped into Aloen's other hand.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooo**

_Bilbo settled into his arm, silently cursing the wizard. Him, going on some wild adventure, how preposterous was that. The hobbit's head jerked up at the sound of someone knocking on his door. Pushing himself out of the chair, Bilbo stalked towards the entrance._

_'What part of good day did you not understand? I am not going on any blasted adventure! Now leave me al...' Bilbo trailed off as he yanked the door open, not to see a wizard dressed in gray but a man in dusty brown clothes, well-worn from travelling._

_'Is that any way to treat an old friend, Bilbo Baggins? One would think you are not happy to see me' Even if Bilbo didn't recognize the man in from of him (which he did, thank you very much), the teasing voice and crooked half smile would have given him away anyway._

_'Aloen, I haven't seen you for months. What are you doing here? I thought you were in The Blue Mountains for at least another month.' The hobbit moved back out of the doorway while gesturing for his friend to come inside._

_'I finished earlier than I expected. I make for Lond Daer in the morning. I thought I would visit you before heading to Bree for the night.' Aloen rolled his shoulder after placing his pack on the floor, stretching his muscles._

_'Nonsense, stay here tonight, I have nothing planned. You're probably exhausted from all the riding.' Aloen rocked on his heels before nodded, a thankful smile gracing his face._

_'Is it alright if I take a quick nap? I haven't slept well the last few nights.' Bilbo herded the man towards the back of his house, nodded his head. 'Of course, of course, sleep. I'll wake you for dinner. You know where the big person's room is.'_

_Bilbo watched his friend disappear before settling back into his arm chair, completely forgetting about the wizard._

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Bilbo muttered a quiet, "excuse me for a moment," before hurrying into the next into the next room where his other guest waiting.

"I quite recall you saying that you had nothing planned. Did that change while I was asleep?" Aloen's humorous tone didn't match his body language in the slightest as he knuckles were white from gripping his daggers.

"It's all Gandalf's fault. That blasted wizard sprung this all on me without any warning. They pillaged the pantry. I'm not even going to tell you what they've done to the bathroom, they all but destroyed the plumbing. I don't understand what those dwarves are even doing in my house?" Bilbo's eyes grew slightly misty in frustration before he blinked them clean.

"Do you want be to get rid of them?" Bilbo recoiled slightly, shocked. Aloen's normally teasing voice had gone icy and his eyes were hard as flint. The hobbit was given a very abrupt reminder that this was the man that wiped out 7 armed men and walked away with nary a scratch. A very, very minuscule part of him wanted to say yes and watch Aloen rid his house of his unexpected guests.

"Bilbo, where have you got to?" Bilbo flinched, head turning towards Gandalf's voice. "No, no, don't you worry about it. I'll take care of it." Bilbo turned fully and hurried back into his dining room calling out to the wizard, "I'm coming Gandalf, hold on."

**oooooooooooooooooooooooo**


	2. Dragon Fire

Procyon has been changed to Aloen. I would also like to thank The elusive shadow for being the most completely epic beta ever.

_Flashbacks are shown in Italics. _

** ooooooooooooooo**

Bilbo honestly felt like crying. Twelve. There were twelve dwarves in his house, and that blasted wizard. His house was ruined; his pantry empty and they had thrown around his mother's Westfarthing pottery, which was over a hundred years old, like it was nothing. Hideous as it was, it had been passed through the Took family, from eldest child to eldest child. Then they had laughed at him, like it was some great joke.

Surrounded by laughing dwarves he debated if it was good manners to simply have Aloen throw the dwarves out. Surely it couldn't be considered rude if the guests were uninvited in the first place? He was sure Aloen wouldn't mind. He'd get the dwarves out in the blink of an eye. The young lad didn't look it, with his short and wiry frame, but there was something utterly predatory lurking under the surface. There was a quiet restraint in all his movements, a sharpness in his eyes, which sometimes unnerved Bilbo to no end. Aloen was a foe to be reckoned with, of that Bilbo had no doubt. He could still recall the ease with which he had defeated the robbers. Bilbo frowned and watched as the dwarves put the plates and the jugs inside the kitchen cupboards. Maybe he shouldn't set Aloen on them.

Suddenly there was a loud, and in Bilbo's ears, rather ominous, knock on the door. The dwarves stilled.

"He's here," murmured Gandalf.

That sounded even more ominous and Bilbo reluctantly went to open the door. Outside was yet another dwarf. That makes it thirteen, a voice whined in his head. But this one was different from the other dwarves Bilbo felt. The new dwarf was tall and muscled and under his travelling cloak a well-crafted chainmail glimmered underneath a leather and fur coat. He hastily stepped aside as the newcomer called out a greeting to Gandalf and then stepped inside as if he owned the place. Prideful eyes glanced around the hall, landing on the other dwarves.

"I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. I wouldn't have found it at all if it weren't for that mark on the door."

Gandalf dismissed Bilbo's objections of there being a mark on his newly painted door and gestured to the newcomer. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce you to the leader of our company; Thorin Oakenshield."

The newly named Thorin gave him an unimpressed glance, a glance Bilbo felt he should have no business giving to the owner of the house he was now a guest in. "So this is the hobbit? Tell me Mr Baggins, have you done much fighting? Axe or sword? Which is your weapon of choice?"

Bilbo frowned, unsure how he should deal with the situations. Fighting?! Why in the name of Yavanna did they think he had need of fighting? He didn't even have a weapon, unless you counted the sword over the mantelpiece but that was only for show. He was a hobbit for pity's sake, not some…some loud, belligerent dwarf. A hobbit of Hobbiton and quite proud of it too. He straightened up and put his hands behind his back. There would be no fighting or adventures in his house. "Well I have some skill with conkers if you must know but I fail to see how that is relevant," he quipped.

Thorin gave him an unimpressed stare, before snorting. "Thought as much." He looked to his fellow dwarves. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." Then he turned away and Bilbo felt the unpleasant sensation of someone who has been both dismissed and insulted at the same time. In his own home! He brought himself up like an offended partridge. That brutish lump! He was interrupted in his anger by a shout for food and he deflated immediately. Food. Food! Of all the rude, obnoxious… Bilbo scuttled into his ransacked pantry, looking for something to serve. From the floor he picked up, and brushed off, a loaf of bread and on the topmost shelf he found some dried meat. Not much beer left either. He would have to heed down to Hobbiton if he and Aloen were to have anything to eat tomorrow. He smacked his head, great trouble! Aloen! He hadn't had anything to eat yet. And just back from the road as he was. He truly was a terrible host.

"Make do, make do," he sighed and scraped half of the meat off to another plate and hid it again on the topmost shelf, grateful for the short statue of dwarves. It wasn't much, for either of them, but little was better than nothing, as his grandmother used to say. Aloen at least wouldn't complain, he never did, but that only made Bilbo feel even more the terrible host. He took the food and wandered out to the dining room. Thorin had already sat himself at the head of the table. Bilbo offered him the food with a muttered apology as to the poor size of the meal, but Thorin simply waved him off. At least the other dwarves had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

Thorin finished his meal quickly, the other dwarves watching silently. The humour and playfulness of earlier seemed absent and when Thorin pushed aside his plate the tension seemed to rise. Bilbo hovered at the threshold, not wanting to be part of the group and not wanting to leave them unsupervised either. And maybe there was just a tad curiosity in his hovering.

They were talking about a mountain. About a dragon and gold. Just the mention of it made something, like butterflies, to flutter in Bilbo's stomach. Dragon. Why on earth would they want to take back a mountain if a dragon was guarding it? He hoped the mountain and its dragon was far away from the Shire. He wanted nothing to do with it. Though the word dragon made him frown as he tried to remember something, something he'd heard. Something about Aloen. He shook his head as if to clear it, before shrugging; if it was that important he would remember it.

The dwarves had moved on with their conversation which seemed to have landed on missing keys.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf declared as he held up what looked like an iron key.

Oakenshield stared at the key in shock. "How did you come by it?"

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." As Gandalf handed the key over, Bilbo stared at it in fascination. It was rather plain looking. The dwarves though seemed thrilled but Bilbo didn't understand. They have a key, but how on earth are they planning to steal a treasure from a dragon? Well, it wasn't his problem anyhow. There hadn't been a dragon in the Shire for hundreds of years and one wasn't likely to come by; the Shire didn't have much in the way of precious gems and alluring gold that the dragons coveted so much. There was only that necklace in the museum in Michel Delving and somehow Bilbo didn't think it warranted the journey from whatever place dragons lived in.

The blonde one, Fili or Kili he wasn't sure, lent forward before stating the obvious, "if there is a key, there must be a door."

Gandalf nodded before pointing to the map. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."

The dwarf who'd arrived with the blonde, slung his arm around his companion's neck before following in his footsteps with "There's another way in." Bilbo wasn't sure if it was just these two or if all dwarves had to point out the obvious.

Gandalf turned to face the young dwarf. "Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map, and I do not have the skill to find it, but there are others in Middle-Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But if we're careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."

One of the dwarves piped up with "that's why we need a burglar." Bilbo blinked before blinking again. They honestly thought that a burglar could get past a dragon. The wizard must be out of his mind. And unfortunately for Bilbo, he thought he knew who they had in mind. But there was no way one earth he was going anywhere near a dragon, thank you very much.

He leaned forward, looking at the map. "It sounds to me like you need a dragon slayer, not a burglar," he mused.

Bilbo took a slight step back as Oakenshield turned to meet his eyes. "Indeed. However since dragon slayers are a lot harder to find than a burglar, we must make due. Give him the contract."

That's when Bilbo remembered what had been nagging him. Dragon slayer...

** ooooooooooooooooooo**

_Bilbo sat in the chair by the fireplace, listening to the storm outside. Aloen had arranged to come over for lunch at midday. It was unusual. Aloen was often away on travels and it could go months between visits, often he would just show up unannounced on Bilbo's doorstep one day. But this time Bilbo had gotten a warning in the form of a letter, another thing Aloen seldom did. He'd prepared a light lunch for two and an apple pie was sitting on the counter. But just an hour beforehand, __this storm had whipped up, unleashing rain and lightning._

_He tried not to feel worried or anxious, telling himself that Aloen could take care of himself, but what if he was lost, or struck by lightning or caught a cold or… Relief coursed through him when he heard banging on the door._

_Bilbo hurried over to the door, peered out the sid e window to check before letting in a soaking wet Aloen. _

_He stood in the middle of the hallway before he winced, noticing the small puddle forming at his feet. "Sorry about the floor."_

_Bilbo felt a small flicker of pain for the wood before brushing the apology off. "Worry not; it won't be hard to clean up. You should get dry, wouldn't want you to fall ill."_

_The dark haired youth nodded before pulling a bundle of clothes out of his pack before ducking into the next room to change._

_Bilbo moved into the kitchen to retrieve the food he had made. He had just placed the food on the table when he heard footsteps behind him._

_"I forgot to grab a shirt." _

_Bilbo just nodded before glancing up to see what Aloen had done with his wet clothes. The other was turned away from him, busy looking through his bag and Bilbo found his gaze travelling over Aloen's exposed back. A jagged scar, red and white, raised and mottled, covered the entire back, sneaking up towards the shoulder._

_"__Your back," he said and reached out to lay a hand on Aloen's elbow. Aloen spun around with a strangled gasp, a hand already on the dagger strapped to his thigh. Bilbo lowered his hand and backed away quickly, eyes still on the gruesome scar. "Your… your back," he stammered. "Oh dear sweet loving Yavanna, what happened to your back?" Aloen shrugged and shifted slightly so the scar disappeared from view. Bilbo looked up to catch Aloen's gaze._

_"Dragon fire." Aloen's voice was quiet but fierce and he met Bilbo's gaze head on. There were no lies in those eyes._

_If possible, Bilbo's eyes got even bigger. "Dragon fire... When did you get burnt by a dragon?" _

_Aloen turned and pulled a shirt from his pack before he pulled it over his head, hiding the scarring that raced up his back and across one arm. Bilbo caught one last glance at the scarring, the skin had turned white and leathery and was slightly raised. _

The silence stretched after Bilbo's question. Aloen righted the sleeves to his shirt. "My birthplace isn't found on these shores. It's far, far to the northwest, across the oceans. It was home to many species of dragons, including the one who gave me these burns."

_"__They look painful. Do they hurt still? I might have some herbs…" Bilbo fretted, already half-way to a drawer with dried herbs and plants._

_"__It's fine," Aloen's mellow voice had him pausing. "Dragon fire can't be undone." And then, as if wanted to downplay his own words he added. "It doesn't hurt much."_

_"__Doesn't hurt much?! It looks like it would hurt a lot."_

_"__I could be worse."_

_"__How could it be worse!"_

_"__I'm alive, my friends were not so lucky. I killed the dragon but not before it had killed my friends." With that he turned around, leaving Bilbo struggling for something to say. The fact that Aloen had friends came as a complete surprise to Bilbo, who somehow had imagined the other as someone sprung from the nothingness to save little hobbits from robbers. That Aloen had had a life before he met Bilbo seemed foreign. Aloen tied the strings to his bag and turned back around, he smiled slightly when he saw Bilbo still fishing for something to say. "You said something about food?"_

_And that was it, Bilbo knew, he wouldn't get anything else out of the other and the moment to offer condolences seemed lost. Disheartened Bilbo moved to put the plates on the table and the two settled down to eat, Aloen telling about his latest travels and slowly the scars were forgotten._

**ooooooooooooooooooo**

A dragon slayer. Aloen was a dragon slayer. He said it himself that he had killed one. It was obvious now. Aloen was always out on some adventure. It was Aloen the dwarves needed, not Bilbo.

He cleared his throat and found himself suddenly the target of intense scrutiny from 13 dwarves and one wizard. "If you would all excuse me for a moment, I will be right back." Without waiting for an answer, Bilbo made a swift exit from the room and made a bee-line for the big person's room at the back. Bilbo came to a halt before he tapped the door, waiting for it to open.

"Do you want me to get rid of them now?" Bilbo jumped, unprepared for his friend's voice to come from behind him.

Aloen leant against the wall, one hand twirling a dagger around. Bilbo couldn't help but notice how tense Aloen seemed and his gaze was constantly flicking towards the dining room where the guests were quietly speaking. And here he had thought Aloen was relaxing in his room. He almost snorted, more likely was that Aloen had been sneaking around like a restless ghost in the corridors. He guessed he should be happy no unsuspecting dwarf had disappeared on his way to the bathroom.

"I heard most of what was said, including that song about those things you hate. And about the dragon." His eyes glinted and he stopped twirling his dagger. "I'm guessing that's why you came to find me? Because of the dragon problem they have?"

"You're a dragon slayer aren't you? You would know what to do. Better than me in any case, hobbits are no adventurers." Even if he felt quite downtrodden at that thought.

"Chasing after dragons is nothing one does on a whim, and especially not for adventure or money. I've faced three dragons in my life and I would like to keep it at that number."

"But what about the dwarves, they need someone to kill the dragon."

"Then let them do it themselves, I refuse to do it for them. They should know better than to force someone into the path of a dragon, or at least the wizard should know better."

Bilbo's heart sunk with every world that passed Aloen's lips. By the end it was down in his large, furry feet.

Aloen seemed to notice for he sighed before sinking down along the wall until he sat on the floor, making Bilbo tower over him. He looked tired, and yet his gaze would now and then flutter to towards the dining room. "I said I would not deal with the dragon. I never said I would not help you. I can be quite persuasive when I want to be. Come; let us deal with the dwarves. If worse comes to worse, I think I'm strong enough to be able to pick them up and throw them out the door one by one. The wizard, I can drag out by his beard."

The corners of Bilbo's lips twitched at the images in his head and he took Aloen's hand and pulled him up from the floor and together they headed towards the dining room. Before they came into view of the dwarves, Bilbo turned slightly to face Aloen. "I think it would a good idea if you…um… sheath you dagger before you go in there. A few look kind of twitchy."

Aloen nodded and slipped the dagger into the sheath on his outer thigh. His other dagger was already in its sheath on his other thigh. "Let's go deal with your other guests then."


	3. Denied Requests

**Have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I'll be back on the 15th. Ret'urcye mhi.**

**ooooooooooooooooooo**

The dwarves noticed them immediately and Thorin, who had been in the middle of a speech, abruptly turned around and watched Harry with a penetrating gaze.

"And who, hobbit, is this?" Thorin's voice had adopted a darker and rougher tone that had Bilbo's heart clench slightly and made him wish he was somewhere, anywhere, other than there.

"This is Aloen, son of…" He cut himself off, suddenly realizing he had no way of finishing the sentence.

"Son of Araen," Aloen said in a short voice, eyes roaming over the gathered dwarves.

"And what are you doing here, Aloen, son of Araen . In the dark of the night?!" demanded Thorin.

"I guess I could ask the same of you, dwarf with no name… or manners."

Bilbo squirmed slightly when Thorin brought himself up and Aloen's whole frame seemed to tense with suppressed power, he took a stumbling step forward, ending up between the two. Thorin and Aloen deflated immediately but the tension remained. They glared at each other. "I'm so sorry, where's my manners," he nearly shouted in his hurry. He gestured to the company of uninvited guests, beginning with Thorin.

"Aloen allow me to introduce you to my guests. This is Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain."

"Well met," said Aloen in a voice that suggested the opposite. He was still glaring darkly at Thorin.

Throin didn't bother answering and Bilbo hastened onwards with the introductions. He gestured to the oldest dwarf, with the white beard. "This is Balin, son of…" He trailed off again, flushing a deep red.

"Balin, son of Fundin, at your service," replied the old dwarf and bowed his head to which Aloen nodded minutely.

Bilbo nodded eagerly and continued. "This is Dwalin, son of…" Again Bilbo trailed off, miserably, coming to the realization that he didn't know any of the dwarves' family or last names.

"Dwalin, son of Fundin. At your service," the tallest dwarf said in a gruff voice and barely a nod to Aloen.

"And then we have…"

"Kili…"

"And Fili, sons of Vali," The two brothers said, almost in unison.

The other dwarves quickly offered up their names to a relieved Bilbo who at long last arrived at the last one.

"And this is Gandalf the Grey," finished Bilbo and couldn't resist adding a small quip at the end. "Who is responsible for this little gathering tonight."

Gandalf chuckled and bowed to Aloen. "I have been known to create a stir wherever I go, I find it makes life more interesting."

"So you're the Grey Wizard," Aloen stated in a neutral voice. He glanced to the window and the other dwarves before meeting Gandalf's gaze. "I've heard of you."

"I hope I should be flattered by this," said Gandalf in a light voice to which Aloen just made a non-committing sound. "You're a friend of Bilbo? But you do not hail from the Shire."

"No."

"Enough with the small talk!" Thorin demanded in a gruff voice. "I want to know what he is doing here! Why tonight of all nights? Why is he sneaking around without making himself known?"

"It is none of your business." Aloen flared up again. "But I'm a friend of Bilbo and I was invited which is more than can be said of you."

Bilbo found himself suddenly under Thorin's glare. "Then maybe master Baggins can enlighten us."

Bilbo however brought himself up. This was really going too far! "I will not! This is my house and I will not have either of my guests insulting each other!"

Thorin snorted and turned to Gandalf. "So he has courage, some of it at least, and I know you vouch for his trustworthiness, Gandalf. But that doesn't extend to friends he might know, friends with an unknown past and intention."

"Wait here just a minute.." began Bilbo but was interrupted by Aloen.

"I have no interest in sharing whatever foolhardy task you're setting out on. Really? Taking on a dragon?"

"So you have been eavesdropping. What will you do then? Run off to your master with the news. Sell it to the highest bidder? The birthright of my people is not for filthy vagrants to claim."

"I don't care about your gold or your kingdom. I'm here to make sure you're not luring Bilbo out on some foolhardy task which will see him killed or worse."

"And you expect us to trust your word for it? A man with no past and no allegiances?"

"Please stop it. He can help, he's a dragon slayer," shouted Bilbo suddenly, fearing the situation was going quite out of hand.

There was silent for a moment before the dwarves burst into laughter. Bombur even falling of his chair from the great guffaws he let out.

"Him? A dragon slayer!"

"You're just a little boy. You're nothing but a tasty bite for Smaug," said Nori.

Bilbo winced. Aloen had quite a dislike of being called boy. Bilbo didn't know why, but every time it happened Aloen's temper would take a turn for the worse and he'd be dour for hours. Or he'd explode. People never did the mistake of calling him boy a second time. Bilbo knew, because it was something that tended to happen quite often; his lack of beard making him look years younger than his real age.

Bilbo didn't know why it was that Aloen never seemed to age, his friend was notoriously tightlipped about it. Personally Bilbo suspected Aloen was somehow related to the elves. Despite the fact that he didn't have pointy ears.

"Have you ever seen a dragon, boy?" The tattooed Dwalin called in a jeering voice. "They're a tad bigger than the fireflies you chase in your garden back home."

Aloen stilled for a second, Bilbo could see something akin to irritation, or fury, shift in his eyes before the young human rushed forwards and got into Dwalin's face. They were almost at the same height, Aloen's a few inches taller, and yet he was dwarfed by Dwalin's big and bulky frame.

"I've seen a dragon. I've fought one. I know what their fire can do," he hissed in a furious voice.

Dwalin crossed his arms and glared up at the human, unimpressed. "I don't believe you… boy."

"Aloen… please," murmured Bilbo. He watched how Aloen struggled for a second; fingers flexing just inches from his knife, before he snarled and stepped away from the dwarf. Bilbo relaxed minutely, he knew well the damage Aloen could inflict if he so chose and he could be dangerously impulsive sometimes. He wondered if the dwarves knew how close they had been from being forced to go on their journey one dwarf short. Or maybe they knew, he thought, when he saw the weapons which suddenly were in the hands of the dwarves. And here he thought they had dumped all the weapons by the front door. Apparently not. And why on earth did anyone bring a double egged axe to the dining table? Bilbo suddenly felt he was way over his head.

But then Aloen stepped back to stand at his side, again looking docile like a kitten, but Bilbo was sure no one was fooled. His friend shifted slightly so his arm came to lean against Bilbo's shoulder. Bilbo could feel how tense Aloen was but at least he made an attempt at rein in his temper. Aloen glared at Dwalin, having momentarily forgotten his dislike of Thorin or his nervousness towards the wizard. "Then you're stupid and I already know how your quest will end."

"Don't be hasty, young Aloen tells the truth," Gandalf called out.

Aloen threw him a suspicious look. "And how would you know that, wizard?"

"Well it is true!" Bilbo butted in, eager to defend his friend. "He's faced three dragons and even killed one of them."

"One does not simply kill a dragon," said Balin.

"Who's saying it was simple," Aloen replied in a frosty voice. He sent a cold glare at Nori. "One of my friends ended up as a "tasty bite" to it before I killed it."

"My condolences," interupted Gandalf smoothly. "I'm sure my companions didn't intend to bring up painful memories." He quelled the protesting dwarves with a glance.

Aloen remained stone faced.

"So he says he has experience with killing dragons," said Thorin in a slow voice. His eyes roamed Aloen's slim frame and modestly sized weapons. "Funny how no one has heard tales of such a feat. The dragons are few in numbers nowadays but they are still evil creatures, tales of a dragon slaying should have reached far and wide."

"I'm sure it would. My birthplace however is far away from here." Bilbo felt the small sparks of curiosity that lit up every time Aloen mentioned his past. Yet he knew better then to ask about it.

"And where is your birthplace?" Gandalf though, did not.

"Far away." The short answer gave a clear message of 'stop asking because I'm not answering.' Gandalf watched him intently but Aloen refused to say anything else.

Dwalin suddenly snorted. "If this little runt can slay a dragon I say we trust him on his word, if any it makes good on our chances. If he can do it then so can we."

"You don't know anything, killing a dragon will never be easy," Aloen gritted out. "And you're fooling yourselves if you think that."

"Then maybe you'd help us?" said Gandalf, ignoring completely Thorin's furious glare. "Like you said, we don't have much experience with slaying dragons. Therefore we had set our hopes to a burglar but one who knows about dragons would be a great help."

"Thank you for the confidence," said Aloen, glancing at the mulish-looking dwarves. "But I am here only because of Bilbo. Nothing more. And you have my opinion. This is a fool's errand."

"Then maybe you'd join together with Bilbo? A journey undertaken with a friend makes for both a shorter and a longer journey." Gandalf asked, looking at Bilbo who almost had forgotten his part in this whole debacle.

Bilbo protested "I'll have you know, I didn't even agree to go on this quest."

Gandalf gaze turned annoyed. "You've been sitting quietly for far too long. Tell me, when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember a young hobbit who was always running off in search of Elves, in the woods. He'd stay out late, come home after dark, trailing mud and twigs and fireflies. A young hobbit who would've liked nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire. The world is not in your books and maps. It's out there! And you are going if it's the last thing I do. It will be good for you!

Aloen puffed up like a mother hen. "And he's not going if it's the last thing I do! I will not let my friend be torn to pieces because of some gold-hungry dwarves."

Bilbo took a deep breath before looking the wizard in the eyes "Can you promise that I will come back?"

Gandalf paused before taking a puff on his pipe, never looking away. "No. And if you do, you'll not be the same."

Bilbo shook his head, curls flopping everywhere. "I don't think I'm the right person for this. I'm sorry, Gandalf." He handed back the contract he'd been clutching in his hand this whole time. "I can't sign this. You've got the wrong hobbit." Gandalf watched him with no small amount of disappointment and Bilbo felt a small surge of regret surge through him.

But there was nothing he could do. Adventures and dragons and travels in the wilderness seemed exciting but did they honestly think he was cut out for something like this?

They needed someone like Aloen. Not some little Hobbit from Bag end. He glanced at his friend who was still standing tensely next to him.  
>Aloen watched the dwarves and the wizard with narrow eyes, as if he was on the verge of making good on his promise of throwing them out one by one. Maybe if Aloen had decided to join the quest, maybe then Bilbo would have found the courage to seek the great adventures beyond the borders of Shire.<p>

The idea of an adventure sounded much better if it was together with a friend.

But Aloen would not go on any adventures, and he wasn't likely lot let Bilbo run off on one either for that matter.

So Bilbo turned away from the dwarves and left the room, Aloen following him like a silent ghost.


End file.
